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European Influence On Native Americans Essay

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Europeans have impacted the Native Americans from the moment Christopher Columbus set foot in America on October 12, 1492. When he reached the Bahamas, he had thought he had reached India, which is how Native Americans got the name Indians. Columbus promised Queen Isabella to bring back riches, so he forced the Native Americans into slavery. If they resisted, he would cut off their ears and noses. If they didn’t collect enough gold he would cut off their hands and tie them to their necks. On his second trip he brought dogs to hunt down and rip the arms and legs off the Native Americans who tried to escape. Along with this he conquered their land and spread disease killing around ninety percent of the Native American population. The Spanish wanted to convert the Native Americans so they forced Christianity upon the Native Americans. The French claimed land in present day …show more content…

In Spanish America, they were not only kicked off their land, but they were forced to be slaves with graphic punishments if they disobeyed, and forced to give up their traditions for Spanish ones. In New England, they were kicked off their land, and in events such as Bacon’s Rebellion, they were killed just because they took up land that could have been used by English settlers. Along with all this, 90% were killed off by disease because they weren’t immune to small pox and other diseases carried around by the Europeans. If European cultures where so much better than the Native Americans, why would it enslave, sicken, take over land, kill, and force one to give up ones own culture? It’s not. That is why I think the Europeans settling and sharing cultures with Native Americans was a negative impact on the Native

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